Printing-machine.



J. N. WALLACE.

PRINTING MACHINE. I APPLICATION FILED JAN. a1, 1913.

M 4 5 4 Ye M 2% 2 z z w Y F u m J% b mmqimw g TE M ' OFFICE.

JOHN N. WALLACE, F ANTWERP, BELGIUM, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,. A. CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PRINTING-MACHINE;

Specification of Letters latent.

' Patented May 19, 1914:.

To all whom it may concern turn movement thereof.

Be it known that 1, JOHN N. \VALLAon, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Antwerp, Belgium, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Printing-Maehines, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to printing machines and more particularly to apparatus adapted to advance and control the record medium, such asa sheet or strip of paper, which is intermittently fed across the face of the platen as the printing proceeds.

The object of this invention is to provide a gripping device which, when actu ated, grips the paper, advances it, and then returns to normal position in a separate path, approximately parallel to that taken on its advance movement. There is also provided a holding device which retains the paper in its advanced position after the forward movement.

The improved apparatus as shown, is embodied in a gripping device comprising two principal movable parts, one of which is adapted to advance and close the grip after which both parts are moved upward. The

two movements are successive and are at approximately a right-angle with respect to each other. A lever or support is pivoted to afford the required movement, and an electromagnet with its armature retractor is arranged to impart an oscillating movement thereto. This results in a positive-advance movement of the paper, a freeing of the gripping device from the paper at the end of the advance movement and a return of the gripping device to normal position with no danger of buckling the paper on the re- This invention will be fully understood from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective front elevation showing a single grip arranged to engage the paper sheet at its center; Fig. 2 is a side elevation showing the parts in normal position; and Fig. 3 is the same View but showing the parts at the end of an advance step.

A paper carriage 10 is adapted to move to and fro on a track 11 on which its grooved placement.

guide 14, held by depending lugs 15, which wheels 12 travel. An upper rail or track 13 is provided to retain the carriage 10 against excessive lateral or vertical dis- The carriage 10 supports a serves to guide a record medium or paper sheet 16. The guide 14 is limited in its downward movement by a wire or rod 17.

The gripping mechanism is composed of a gripping device 18 and a pivoted member 19. The grip '18is pivoted at 20 and has a sharp surface at one end, shown as a tooth 21, for insuring a firm hold on the paper. The member 19 is fpivoted at 22 to 9. lug 23 supported on the rame 24 of the machine. The member 19 is subjected to the tension of a retractile spring 25 which tends to hold the member in its normal position as shown in Fig. 2 and isv provided with a hard rubber contact surface 26 between which and the tooth 21 the paper 16 lies and is gripped at intervals to impart advance movement thereto. The grip 18 is adapted to be advanced in a horizontal line, gripping the paper 16 between the tooth 21 and the rubber surface 26, and then to be moved upward in a substantially vertical line rotating the member 19 about its pivot 22 and advancing the paper sheet 16.' The limit of vice is shown as a two-armed lever 28 pivoted on bearings 29.

The lever 28 has a downwardly projecting arm 30 and a laterally projecting arm 31. The arm 30 carries an armature 32 of an electromagnet 33, and the lever 28 and armature 32 are normally retracted by a spring 3% into the popoint {13 on the arm 35 above the central plane thereof, which tends to separate the I oted thereto at 51. A set screw 54. provided with a suitable lock nut serves' to adjust the extent of movement, of lever 50 about its pivot 51. The outward end of. the member 50 is pivoted at 55 to a link 56 which is provided'with along slot 57 adapted to engage a pin 58 on the grip 18. 7

The lower end of the arm 30 is positioned to engage a contact spring 59 when the armature 32 has been attracted by the electromagnet 33 far enough to properly-advance the paper. The contact spring 59 normally rests in engage-ment'with a contact spring 60 which together with spring *59 forms the normally closed terminals of a break in the circuit energizing the electromagnct 33. When, however, the paper has been properly advanced the lower end of arm 30 opens the circuit between springs 59 and 60, causing the electromagnet' to become deenergizedwhich allows the retractile springs 25, 34 and 40 to return the mechanism to normal position.

In operation the electromagnet33 is energized when the'carriage 10 has, been re tracted to the starting end of a line of print in which position the gripping device will engage the. record medium approximately on the center line thereof. The armature 32 is thereupon attracted moving the two-arm lever 28 about its'pivot 29. The arm 31 consequently risesaIId through the-agency of spring 40 draws the arm35 to theright in approximately a horizontal line so that thepaper is. gripped between tooth 21 and the surface 26. The arm 30 moves screw 20 toward the righthand end of slot 36 allowing the retractile force of spring 10 to advance the arm 35" and grip 18 with its tooth-like projection 21. When the paper strip 16 is firmly held between tooth21 and surface 26 the member raising with the arm 31 brings the lower end of slot 57 into engagement with pin 58 in" grip 18, and both grip '18 andmember 19 rise from the position shown in Fig. 2 to that shown in Fig. 3. The paper is thus advanced the space between successive lines of print. As the arm 30 reaches the limit of its movement, its lower end separates contact springs 59 and 60' as hereinbefore described and themagnet 33 is deenergized.

The spring 3a thereupon retracts the armature 32, link 56 descends freeing the grip contact 18 so that it may descend, and as the movement continues grip 18 is withdrawn fromengagement with the paper 16 and the parts resume their normal position as shown in I3 2; The grip 18 has now engaged the'paper, advanced the paper, re-

, tracted and returned to normal position.

To retain the paper against any tendency to recede from its advanced position, a ball 7O is provided. The ball 70. is located in ahousing 71 having an inclined wall 72 and avertical wall 73. .The paper 16 passes through this housing between the ball 7 O and wall 73. The ball controlled .by gravity jams the paper 16 against wall 73, but when the paper 16 is .moved upward by the paper feed hereinbefore de-. I

scribed, the-ball, 70 is carriednpward by engagement with the paper, along the inclined' wall 72. -This' frees the paper and allows it to vmove upward in response to the efiort of the gripping mechanism.

What I claim is v 1. In a printing machine, a paper feed including a gripping device adapted to m ve in two directions, successively, at an approximate right-angle, in combination with a device for supporting link connections,

link connections between pivotal points on said supporting device and said gripping device, and an electromagnet for actuating said supporting device whereby said supporting device causes said grip to engage the paper,

advance the paper, retract, and then return to normal position in the order named.

. 2. In a printing machine, a paper feed in cluding'a grip adapted to move in two directions, successively, at an approximate right-angle, in combination with a twoarmed lever, slotted link connections'between said gripping device'and said arms, respectively, a spring connecting one arm of said lever and the link connection of .the other arm, and means for actuating said lever.

'3. In a printing machine, means for advancing the recordmedium, consisting of a' pair of movable engaging contacts, in combination with a two-armed pivoted, angular lever, a link connected to-one arm of said lever .by a'slotted bearing and at its opposite end pivoted to one of said contacts, a member pivotally supported on theother arm of said lever, a slotted link having one end pivotally connected to said member and its slotted end connected to a point on said .contact, with an electromagnet arranged to oscillate said two-armcdlever'on its pivot.

4. 'In a printing machine, a paper feed including a gripping device composed of two movable engagmgcontacts, one of which is adapted. to move in two directions, at an approximately right-angle, successively, in combination with a two-armed pilvoted lever, a link connected to one arm of said lever by a slotted bearing and at its opposite, end pivoted to one of said contacts, aimember pivotally supported on the other arm of said lever, a slotted link having one end pivotally connected to said member, its slotted end connected to a pivot on said contact, a spring connecting one arm of said lever and the link connection of the other arm, and an electromagnet arranged to oscillate said lever.

5. In a paper feed for a printing machine, the combination with means for advancing the paper, of separate means for retaining said paper at each step, consisting of a fixed wall, a ball or roller, a housing for'said ball having a Wall fixed at ya converging angle with respect to the first Wall, and a passage for the paper between the ball and the first named wall.

'6. In a paper feed for a printing machine, the combination with means for advancing the' paper, of means for retaining said paper against return movement, including a ball or roller, and a housing for the ball through which the paper passes.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 17th day of December A. D.,

JOHN N. WALLACE.

Witnesses:

D. B. HUNGERFORD, Jr., EDWARD HAROLD 'MCINNIS. 

